Patience: Expectant Waiting

Love is PATIENT. 1 Corinthians 13:4

Wait for the Lord; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord.

Psalm 27:14

The fourth gift of Christmas is patience. At just the right time, God sent us his one and only son. The shepherds were expectantly awaiting his arrival. The world would soon know of his birth. This long awaited gift had finally arrived! Luke 1 & 2

Patience is a deep word. It is more than just keeping ourselves from screaming when the kids are wild. It’s more than just choosing to say a kind word when we’ve been offended. Patience is Love.

When we have received the ultimate gift of God’s love, we begin to know and understand more of how God works. He is Love, therefore, he is patient. Stop and think how long God knocked on the door of your heart waiting to be invited to enter a relationship with you. He didn’t force his way into your life. He was patient, persistent, and waited for just the right time. That’s what real patience is... expectant waiting. We must be patient because God works at just the right time. King Solomon tells us this in Ecclesiastes 3:1 that “There is a time for everything and a  season for every activity under heaven.” 

“Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!” Isaiah 30:18

God wants to give us His good gifts, but He also knows that they must not come too early or they will not be received to their fullest! Timing is everything, and patience is waiting for God’s perfect time. Let me give you an example. Your 12 year old wants a car. You know they will drive in a few years, you have the money now, and it will really be a benefit to them. So, would you get them the car when they are 12? Absolutely not! They are not ready for it. There is maturing to do before the car is of value. That’s what patience does for us. When we have to be patient and wait on the Lord, we have time to mature and get ready to receive the gift. 

From before time began God had in his plan that Jesus would enter the world to save us from our sin. He then waited to reveal himself to creation at the perfect time through the nation of Isreal and through a specific man, Abraham. God could have stamped his name on the world from day one, but he waited because he is sovereign. He knows the future so he can foresee and administer his perfect timing. 

Throughout the Bible, God’s people learn patience through expectant waiting. 

David tells us in his Psalm to “Wait for the Lord; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord.” Psalm 27:14  He knew that God would protect and prevail, but waiting for the time to be perfect was important. 

Throughout the book of Isaiah, this prophet encourages the people of Isreal to look forward to the coming of the Messiah, the promised King. They had to wait! 

Once Jesus enters the world, he too had to wait. As Mary approached him at the wedding in Cana, she asked him to get more wine. His response is this, “Dear woman, why do you involve me? My time has not yet come.” Jesus too, waited on the Father. 

Patience is expectant waiting. David, Isaiah, and Jesus were all patient. They could wait patiently because their hope was in an unfailing Father. They knew he would do what he promised and they patiently rested in that promise. Because we know God’s love, we too can have that same patience. 

Now, what about you? Are you patiently waiting or are you trying to force the issue. Are you allowing God to work, or are you trying to fix the issue? If God seems slow in coming it’s because he is still getting all the details in place in both you and the others who will benefit from the gift. Fix your eyes on Him and patiently wait for Him! Patiently wait for his return and fix your eyes on eternity. In doing so, the wait for our earthly gifts grows dim and satisfies our longings. 

(First Published December 16, 2013)